Page 34 of Sold to the Alphas

The kiss was soft at first, tentative and searching, but I sank into it when he didn’t pull away, letting the world around us fade. His hand slid to the back of my neck, tilting my head as he deepened the kiss, his control unraveling just enough to let me feel the fire simmering beneath his calm exterior.

When we finally broke apart, his forehead rested against mine, his breath warm against my skin.

“You have no idea what you’re doing to me,” he murmured, his voice raw.

I smiled softly, brushing my fingers against his jaw. “I think I have some idea.”

He huffed a quiet laugh, pulling me closer. For the first time since the fight, the tension in my chest eased, and my wolf fully settled.

The spell broke, and the world came rushing back in. Finn was watching us, his expression unreadable, while Marshall stood a few paces away, his arms crossed as he surveyed the scene. They’d already cleared the bodies.

Without another word, we gathered our things and set off, the forest swallowing us whole as we put as much distance as possible between ourselves and the clearing.

The road ahead was quiet; the only sounds were the rustle of leaves and the soft crunch of our boots against the dirt. The tension lingered, unspoken but heavy, and I could feel the weight of their emotions pressing down on me.

Finn had fallen behind, his usual swagger subdued, while August walked ahead, his posture rigid and unyielding. Marshall stayed close to me, his presence steady and grounding, but even he seemed more guarded than usual.

“Are you okay?” Marshall asked quietly, his voice breaking the silence.

I nodded, though I wasn’t sure if it was true. “I’ll be fine.”

He studied me for a moment, his gaze searching. “You shifted. You were incredible back there.”

I glanced up at him, surprised.

“You protected your pack,” he said. “That’s more than most would have done.”

The words warmed something deep inside me, even as the reality of what I’d done lingered like a shadow.

“I didn’t think,” I admitted. “I just...reacted.”

He smiled, a rare and fleeting expression. “Sometimes, that’s the best thing you can do.”

We walked silently for a while longer, the tension slowly easing.

As the miles passed, new possibilities opened up before me. I could still shift—despite what my old pack had told me.

I’d also learned something about myself. I would always have a primal and unrelenting need to protect those who I cared for. I’d risked my life to protect my sister, and I’d done it again for these alphas.

They were mine—and I’d do whatever it took to keep them safe.

17

August

The scent of blood still clung to us, and my wolf prowled restlessly, bristling with the memory of Finn’s taunts. I couldn’t get them out of my mind—they played on a loop, along with the memory of Elisabed shifting in front of us for the first time, feral and unrestrained.

She had acted on instinct, I reminded myself. Seeing Finn bleed had triggered something primal in her wolf, still too close to her heat to think rationally. We thought it would take longer to bring out her wolf, but it was the opposite. It happened too fast, and that caused unease to twist in my gut. She wasn’t supposed to lose control like that—not so quickly or completely.

The scent of violence we left behind would be a beacon for humans and wolves alike. I knew all too well the consequences that could bring. Finn may throw my past in my face like a weakness, but I would never let myself repeat the samemistakes. No one I loved would suffer from my consequences ever again.

It was only because Finn knew me so well that he could use that weakness against me. The cracks in our alliance were widening.

Finn’s recklessness. Marshall’s temper. My inability to keep us all in line. And Elisabed...my chest tightened at the thought of her.

She had looked so small in the aftermath of the fight compared to her ferocious wolf. Trembling but resolute, she stepped between Finn and me to calm the storm brewing between us. I could still feel the softness of her hand against my arm and the steadiness in her voice as she talked me down.

“What’s done is done,” she’d said. “We can’t afford to fight amongst ourselves, not now. Not with everything at stake.”

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